WASHINGTON – Falling between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Saturday, Nov. 24, will be the third annual “Small Business Saturday.”

Small Business Saturday, created in 2010 by American Express, is designed to be a day to celebrate and support small businesses and what they do to create jobs and strengthen their communities.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. And when we shop small, we not only get great products and services, but we support our neighbors and strengthen our local economies,” Karen Mills, U.S. Small Business Administration administrator, said in a blog post on the SBA website.

According to ShopSmall.com, last year more than 100 million people came out to shop at independently-owned small businesses.

“Small Business Saturday is a day for everyone — from the business owners who create jobs to the customers who buy locally — to support small businesses that invigorate the economy and keep communities thriving,” said the website.

In her SBA blog post, Mills said that over the last two decades, small and new businesses have been responsible for creating two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. Today more than half of all working Americans own or work for a small business.

“By shopping small, we can help America’s small businesses do what they do best: grow their businesses, create good jobs and ensure that our communities are vibrant,” said Mills.

Hundreds of Rhode Island businesses – including restaurants, salons and retailers – are registered for Small Business Saturday on ShopSmall.com.

“For the past several years, the city has promoted a ‘shop local’ campaign during the holiday season to encourage people to support family-owned as well as national retailers in our community,” Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian said in a statement. “Supporting Small Business Saturday is an extension of these efforts, and we hope that residents will take advantage of the variety of products and services our local companies offer.”

Get the most up-to-date data on the Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts business community from the PBN List Center. Download and purchase PBN Lists as well as the complete Book of Lists in Excel format.